She hears her name, and then that. She freezes, and when she sees a well-dressed, uniformed nobleman addressing her like that, she stares in honest perplexity. She ducks her head quickly, to avoid any accusation of insolence for looking at him directly.
"I'm sorry, my lord," she apologizes, "But, I think you've mistaken me." She winces internally and settles for hoping he won't decide to be angry she's just told him he's wrong.
But she doesn't know his face. She doesn't look at it, either, keeping her eyes respectfully slightly lowered.
"I'm sorry," she says, and then she's saved by a rare flash of the flattery so necessary at court: "I think I would remember meeting such a fine lord forever," she tells him.
Which is pretty much the polite way to say she definitely hasn't. She's pretty sure of that.
"Eh?! Kunzite-sama!" She stares up at him, decorum and protocol forgotten in her surprise. She lowers her gaze again.
"A different world," she murmurs. She's met a few, and the evidence is standing right in front of her if this is Kunzite (and who'd dare lie about that and risk his certain wrath?)
No irritation here. Beryl does her job well, and as a result is usually treated quite well. But she's still used to the short patience of the nobility. She does seem flustered, but she musters up to firmness to defy him on behalf of a higher authority yet:
"I cannot. Endymion-sama and Princess-sama are the ones who ordered this tray. I'm taking it up to them."
If this is Kunzite, how he can talk that way? But no, no one would risk impersonation. This has to be something about the other world, too. At least this order, she can obey; it wasn't as if the prince and princess had commanded her, only the tray of sweets and pastries. The moon princess has a widely-acknowledged sweet tooth. She nods.
"I don't understand," she admits as she leads him to a small but quiet hallway nearby. Even if they're seen, no one will reprimand her for leaving the kitchen if it's with a noble, so she's as relaxed as his perplexing anger will let her be.
"Um..." The intensity of his question and demeanor makes her nervous, but Beryl tries to answer as best she can.
"I work here, in the palace," she says. Is that what he means? "Upstairs as a chambermaid." You know that, she doesn't add, because it's clear the different worlds must be... What? Something feels very wrong by now.
Why is he so angry? All she can put together is that he - quite obviously, by now - is against the prince somehow. That alone is confusing enough. What does she have to do with it? And he's not planning to hurt the prince, is he?
"Well, yes," she says uncertainly. "I serve the court. Endymion-sama is our prince. The moon princess is an honored guest when she visits with her entourage."
He's met with even more confusion. She shakes her head, and takes a hesitant step backwards, growing more disturbed by the direction of the conversation with every passing moment, sensing something just at the edge of it that she's not understanding and doesn't want to understand.
"She is the princess of the Moon Kingdom," she says. "It's natural that she would come here. How else should it be and what right do I have to object?"
He's guessed it, she realizes suddenly, and she's sure of it: He's guessed her love for Endymion.
(The comment has been removed)
"I'm sorry, my lord," she apologizes, "But, I think you've mistaken me." She winces internally and settles for hoping he won't decide to be angry she's just told him he's wrong.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
But she doesn't know his face. She doesn't look at it, either, keeping her eyes respectfully slightly lowered.
"I'm sorry," she says, and then she's saved by a rare flash of the flattery so necessary at court: "I think I would remember meeting such a fine lord forever," she tells him.
Which is pretty much the polite way to say she definitely hasn't. She's pretty sure of that.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
"A different world," she murmurs. She's met a few, and the evidence is standing right in front of her if this is Kunzite (and who'd dare lie about that and risk his certain wrath?)
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
"I cannot. Endymion-sama and Princess-sama are the ones who ordered this tray. I'm taking it up to them."
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
"I don't understand," she admits as she leads him to a small but quiet hallway nearby. Even if they're seen, no one will reprimand her for leaving the kitchen if it's with a noble, so she's as relaxed as his perplexing anger will let her be.
"Has something happened?"
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
"I work here, in the palace," she says. Is that what he means? "Upstairs as a chambermaid." You know that, she doesn't add, because it's clear the different worlds must be... What? Something feels very wrong by now.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
"Well, yes," she says uncertainly. "I serve the court. Endymion-sama is our prince. The moon princess is an honored guest when she visits with her entourage."
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
"She is the princess of the Moon Kingdom," she says. "It's natural that she would come here. How else should it be and what right do I have to object?"
He's guessed it, she realizes suddenly, and she's sure of it: He's guessed her love for Endymion.
Reply
Leave a comment